Wax crayons provide an artistic medium that is relatively inexpensive, non-toxic, clean to use, and readily available. These features make crayons particularly attractive for use with children in creative endeavors and in early practice of motor skills.
Nevertheless, wax crayons have some significant drawbacks. It is difficult to create an even, highly saturated field of color with most crayons. Smooth papers do not receive the wax of the crayon effectively and attempts to lay down additional layers of crayon may be defeated by the preceding layer of wax which provide a lubricating layer resisting further abrasion of the crayon tip. Too much pressure on the crayon can cause a “plowing” of the previous layer resulting in small specks of dark color that can become detached and can undesirably spread over other areas of the drawing. Rough papers which provide better “tooth” to abrade the wax crayon tip for the deposition of color, produce a mottled color field with significant uncolored area.
For these reasons, children can become dissatisfied with crayons at an early age before they have access to other artistic media, potentially curtailing their artistic explorations.